Chloe's sharp gaze didn't shake Leonel's desire to fight and win back the heart of the woman who had once been his wife.
"It's been a long time since we met. A year? Or even longer? Is it too difficult for you to sit with me for a while? I want to have coffee, accompanied by you." Leonel didn't care about Chloe's continuous cynical attitude. To him, he had already felt embarrassed, so there was no harm in going even deeper; even drowning in embarrassment wouldn't be a problem for him.
Chloe hissed softly. "It's already late. I'm tired and don't add to my fatigue. I don't want to waste my time on you. Having coffee together? Seriously, Leonel. Since when have our relationship been so friendly that we can casually chat at the same table?" The woman was genuinely puzzled by what Leonel was thinking this time.
If only her mouth could say, "You'd better have coffee with the wall!" Chloe would have done it earlier. But she still had a hint of pity. Leonel's gaze in front of her seemed tired too... Pitiful?
Nevertheless, Chloe chose to leave Leonel just like that. There were a few minutes of pause where she let the time between them pass without a word. Leonel hadn't found much to talk about other than enjoying Chloe's face, which had captivated him lately. She felt like there was nothing more to discuss. Leonel didn't stop her this time; he would let his ex-wife go just like that. Give up? Of course not.
Leonel did notice a hint of tiredness on his ex-wife's beautiful face. Because he cared about Chloe, he would give in this time and meet Chloe tomorrow.
"It's my fault for coming here late at night. She must be tired. Mama also said that Chloe still handles most of the work at the cafe. But does she handle all the tasks herself? Goodness, God. Why doesn't she ask her trusted people to help?" Leonel scanned the entire cafe with his eyes. He held his chin and pinched it lightly, then nodded weakly.
"What does Chloe think that she has to handle everything herself? Doesn't she think about herself? What if she's too tired?" Leonel muttered as he recalled, what did Chloe do daily when she lived in his luxurious house?
Just ordinary things.
Like a wealthy housewife, but...
"Chloe is different. She's been successful so quickly. I'm proud of her, but what does her well-being mean all this time? After our divorce? She can be like this now." Leonel rubbed his face with his empty hands; his manner was rough. He felt frustrated when he thought about Chloe's closeness to Darren repeatedly.
"Shit! Why is Chloe so beautiful?" Leonel's curse-filled praise acknowledged how stunning his ex-wife was. "Is she that happy without me?"
Leonel was stunned by his thoughts. Unlike when she was still his wife, he never openly acknowledged her beauty. What he remembered clearly was that Chloe had gentle and motherly eyes. Rarely did she look at him with dislike. No matter Leonel's behavior's annoyance, Chloe always greeted him cheerfully.
He roughly rubbed his face. He felt even more suffocated by guilt and remorse that struck him forcefully, not to mention the swirling thoughts that Chloe was fine without him. Leonel made sure of that with his own eyes, right?
Is there still a chance?
"Tonight, I let you go, Sa. But don't expect me to give up here."
Leonel left the cafe, heading to the same hotel where Agatha and Robby had stayed yesterday. It was because of its location not too far from Chloe's restaurant.
Leonel planned to stay in Beverly Hills for quite a while, not just a day or overnight like his parents. The mountain wouldn't be an obstacle for him. He would be in Beverly Hills and fight for Chloe to return to his arms.
Besides, his father fully supported him.
"Papa wants Chloe to be happy, Leonel. She's like a daughter to Papa. If you feel that you can make her happy, then do it. Consider five years ago as a valuable lesson. Win back Chloe while their relationship isn't bound by marriage yet. Prove that you truly love her."
Robby's words echoed in his mind. His father rarely mentioned Chloe. It was just a passing comment, but when he said goodbye, Robby's words ignited his spirit even more.
That's right. Leonel wouldn't give up so easily.
During the journey to the hotel, Leonel stared out of the car window. He saw the stark difference between the atmosphere of Beverly Hills and New York City. "It's cold here, Chloe. Cool, that's what makes you feel at ease. Or is it the ambiance of Beverly Hills that makes you even more beautiful because you live in this beautiful city? I'm sure whatever happened to you has nothing to do with that doctor of yours," Leonel confidently remarked.
He slammed his body against the car seat, then leaned back and closed his eyes. A happy smile formed on his face as the image of Chloe's beautiful face adorned his thoughts. "I will fight, Sa. Get ready."
That night, Leonel slept soundly. Even though he was sleeping in a hotel, he didn't care. Even if he received poor service from the hotel staff, he would continue to smile because his heart was filled with happiness.
What kind of effect did meeting Chloe have on him? Leonel must have gone crazy. Yes, crazy for Chloe.
It's different from what Leonel feels. Chloe couldn't sleep that night; she was restless throughout the night.
She was rolling from side to side repeatedly. Forcing her eyes shut, covering her body and even her face with a blanket, lying on her stomach, and burying her head in the pillow. She did everything, but she couldn't fall asleep.
"Leonel! You jerk! Why do you have to appear in my life again?" Chloe exclaimed in frustration, even though it was already three in the morning. She felt irritated because she couldn't sleep, despite feeling so tired.
Chloe gave up; she couldn't sleep and wouldn't be able to. She decided to sit up, leaning against her headboard. The blanket that she had been holding onto now only covered her legs.
Chloe's head leaned wearily, then she grabbed her phone and turned on the screen. A long sigh was heard, indicating how exhausted she was.
"I'm tired, Ben. What else do you want?" Chloe quickly opened one of her social media accounts and opened her ex-husband's profile. She saw one of Leonel's portraits, wearing a black tuxedo and matching glasses. He looked neat and handsome, but Chloe didn't want to admit it.
The background of the photo was the Mountain building he managed. It was taken when Leonel began to stabilize things. There were several people beside him. Chloe thought they were all related to their new collaboration.
"Why did you have to come here? Don't you know about my struggle to move on from you? I tried hard to forget you. I tried to make peace with all the pain you left in my heart. You should be aware instead of showing up like this, acting as if you have no guilt!" Chloe muttered, gripping her phone tightly. "Doesn't he realize how big of a mistake he made? Then he shows up without a sense of guilt."
Chloe tossed her phone haphazardly; luckily, it landed on the bed. She then bowed her head, resting her forehead on her knees.
Both of Chloe's hands embraced her legs, getting tighter and tighter. Then the sound of sobbing began, initially soft but gradually growing louder.
Crying.
During her exile, she kept herself busy with anything she could do, all in an attempt to erase Leonel's name from her heart. Trying to accept someone else's presence quickly makes Leonel's name disappear from her mind. But in reality, Those efforts were in vain.
It wasn't easy; it could even be said it was difficult for her to forget Leonel even when Darren did everything to win her heart. Yet, Leonel resurfaced, reminding her that she had once been the wife of a Leonel Grisham and was a victim of the Mountain leader's selfishness.
Cold, lonely, tired, and in pain. That night, Chloe felt incapable of living her life well. She wanted to complain; she tried to wave her hand for help. The pain in her heart was too deep, weakening her sanity. "Never appear in my life again, Ben!"
Those sobs drowned her even more.
On the same night, it felt different for the two individuals who had once shared a marriage that ended in divorce.
That night was the most beautiful for Leonel because he could meet his ex-wife, whom he still loved. He hoped the night would pass quickly to greet Chloe with his beautiful smile.
Meanwhile, Chloe, the woman who had recently closed her eyes, had yet to wake up. That morning, she could finally close her eyes to relieve her fatigue, even briefly.
Chloe wasn't someone who usually slept in late like this. She had to sleep in that morning because she couldn't sleep all night, primarily due to thinking about her ex-husband, who pressured her. She began to feel a pretty severe headache.
Since Chloe didn't come out of her room, Tia tried knocking on Chloe's door. There was no response, even though she had repeatedly called out her name and knocked on the door.
Curious, Tia opened Chloe's door and found her sound asleep.
"You rarely sleep at this hour." Not wanting to disturb Chloe, Tia left the room, closing the door gently.
The employees at the cafe wondered where their boss had gone because the restaurant was already open, and Chloe hadn't arrived yet.
Darren, who tried calling Chloe, received no answer, so early in the morning, he arrived at Chloe's cafe. He wanted to meet her and ask why she hadn't answered his calls. However, instead of meeting Chloe, he encountered her ex-husband.
"Leonel?"
"Darren?"
The two men, who met accidentally, disliked the person before them.
With grins, they silently criticized each other with their gaze alone.
"What are you doing here?" Darren asked sarcastically.
Leonel chuckled. He had just stepped out of the car, and the person he wanted to meet was Chloe. However, it was Darren who stood before him. "Is this your cafe? As far as I know, this cafe belongs to my woman."
Darren laughed at Leonel's words. "My woman? Are you suffering from amnesia? Chloe is your ex-wife!" Darren exclaimed, his eyes glaring sharply. He didn't like hearing Leonel acknowledge Chloe as his woman. He was jealous, hoping Leonel would leave Beverly Hills and never meet Chloe again.
"Yes, Chloe is my ex-wife; she might become my wife again. Nothing is impossible in this world," Leonel disregarded Darren's sarcastic attitude.
Darren smirked. "Indeed, nothing is impossible in this world, including you being a guest at my wedding with Chloe in the future."
As if ready for battle, the two men, with different professions, attacked each other with words. Two men who were equally handsome, equally charming, but for the present Chloe, marriage was something she still had to think about thousands of times.
"You better go home," Darren said confidently.
"You should go to work instead. What's a doctor doing in a cafe at this hour? Ck!" Leonel stared at Darren with eyes that indicated his disdain for the man who had been close to Chloe for the past year. "Don't think that just because you can hug Chloe means she will be yours. Don't forget; we shared a bed for a long time." Leonel didn't care if his words sounded childish. He only wanted Chloe, and he would fight to win her back.
Darren appeared shocked by the words that came out of Leonel's mouth. Oh my! It ruined the morning he was going to have.
"What about yourself? Do you think about your busy affairs? To the point of forgetting that you have a wife? It's good that Chloe chose to divorce. She doesn't want to linger with someone who neglects her!"
Leonel clenched his fists tightly, ready to swing and strike Darren hard, but...
"Excuse me, Sir," one of Chloe's employees approached. His face looked concerned. "I hope you won't argue here. The customers have arrived. Please have a seat inside if you want to meet Chloe."
Darren let out a rough breath; he couldn't linger here. Meanwhile, Leonel scanned the corners of the cafe space that was starting to fill with customers. Most of them chose breakfast menus before starting their activities. He walked in and took a seat in one corner. He could wait here until Chloe arrived.
Darren? He didn't care. After all, the man finally left. Darren's medical practice couldn't be abandoned just like that.
"One-zero, Darren," Leonel said with a satisfied grin. He sipped the cup of coffee that had just been brought by one of the cafe employees.
"No matter how hard you try to avoid it, Chloe, I will prove I am serious. You won't find the despicable Leonel anymore. Leonel comes to you this time, bringing a much greater and more sincere love just for you."